Gymnastic machine

ABSTRACT

Gymnastic machine having a frame ( 10 ) and an exercise station ( 20 ) provided with at least one footrest ( 30 ) movable with respect to the frame ( 10 ) along a first open trajectory (P 1 ) and carried by a first rocker arm ( 42 ) supported in a cantilevered fashion by the frame ( 10 ) by means of at least one turning pair ( 45 ); the exercise station ( 20 ) being provided with a supporting device ( 50 ) associated with the first rocker arm ( 42 ) to minimise the amount of stress that can be transmitted to said footboard ( 30 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a machine effectively usable forperforming physical exercises. In more detail, the present inventionrelates to a gymnastic machine having at least one pair of footboardsfor the repeated performance of alternating movements along an opentrajectory. Therefore, this invention can be effectively applied both togymnastic machines aimed principally at muscular development and tomachines suitable for training with prolonged cyclical exertions of thelower limbs.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the field of gymnastic machines there are well-known skatingsimulators for training of the lower limbs. These machines are used toperform cyclical movements and are therefore particularly suitable forcardiovascular training.

Some machines of this type are produced in implementation of patentswhose teachings have already been described and discussed in the textattached to the Italian invention patent application no. RA2004A000044filed on 16 Sep. 2004 by the assignee of the present application,followed by European Patent application no. EP1598095, which correspondsto U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/908,316 filed May 6, 2005.Furthermore, the teachings that can be drawn from these patentapplications by the applicant have enabled it to construct a machinecalled “Cardio Wave”, in which a pair of footboards, each of which issupported by an arm hinged to a frame and is movable along an opentrajectory according to a composite movement when the arm is movedoutward. This composite movement is the result of the combination of aplurality of movements, with the result that, during evolution of thethrusting movement along the respective trajectory, each footboard isinclined inwards to reduce the various deformities of the knee andfavour stability of the ankle, and rotated forward, so as to lower arespective front portion; a respective rear portion is raised tostabilize the user's centre of gravity.

Again in the field of skating simulators, the assignee is the holder ofa further Italian invention patent application no. RA2005A000029, filedon Jul. 29, 2005, which corresponds to U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/494,994 filed Jul. 28, 2006 and which provides the teachings toconstruct a machine in which each footboard is supported by anarticulated quadrilateral coupled to said frame; in particular eachfootboard is movable with respect to the connecting rod of therespective quadrilateral in a freely rotatable manner around adetermined axis, but is held in rotation by a lever carried by theconnecting rod so that, in use, the footboard is movable along an opentrajectory according to a substantially curvilinear composite movementthat allows the user exercising on the footboards to easily maintainhis/her balance.

U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 10/908,316 and 11/494,994, which areincorporated herein by reference thereto, provide teachings to constructmachines based on the use of articulated mechanisms that can be actuatedfreely in the space even if the respective operating volumes differ insize. In particular, the operating volume that is swept by the footboardand by the respective arm to implement the inventive concept describedin the first of the two applications is decidedly lower than the volumerequired to implement the inventive concept corresponding to the secondapplication. Herein and hereafter the expression “operating volume”indicates the portion of space inside which the articulated mechanismsare actuated.

It should be observed that, in both cases, the footboards are supportedin a cantilevered fashion by articulated mechanisms the arms of whichmust be designed so that the footboard can accurately follow therespective open trajectories typical of the composite skating movementdescribed above even when the power discharged by the user on saidfootboards is particularly relevant. This makes it necessary for thesearms to be constructed with materials having a high intrinsic rigidity,or to impart rigidity on the arms and on the turning pairs that connectthem to each other and to the frame, taking particular care to oversizethe dimensions of the resisting sections. Only in this way will it bepossible to minimise transmission of stress from the machine to theuser's foot and allow the user to concentrate exclusively on controllinghis/her motion, with great advantage to the active safety of the machineas a whole. Naturally, this represents an escalation in the costs of thegymnastic machine, as it complicates design and increases the cost ofthe respective structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a machine effectively usable forperforming training exercises. In more detail, the present inventionrelates to a gymnastic machine having at least one pair of footboardsfor the repeated performance of alternating movements along an opentrajectory. Therefore, this invention can be effectively applied both togymnastic machines aimed principally at muscular development and tomachines suitable for the training with prolonged cyclical exertions ofthe lower limbs.

The object of the present invention is to construct a gymnastic machinethat allows the disadvantages described above to be solved, and which issuitable to satisfy a plurality of requirements that to date have stillnot been addressed, and therefore, suitable to represent a new andoriginal source of economic interest and capable of modifying thecurrent market of skating simulators.

According to the present invention, a gymnastic machine is constructed,whose main characteristics are described in at least one of the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the machine according to thepresent invention will be more apparent from the description below, setnon-limiting examples of embodiment, in which identical or correspondingparts of the machine itself are identified by the same referencenumbers. In particular:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation view of a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1, with parts removed for clarity; and

FIG. 3 is a view extracted from FIG. 1, in which a respective device isillustrated in two distinct operating positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIG. 1, no. 1 indicates, in its entirety, a gymnastic machine havinga frame 10 and an exercise station 20; the exercise station 20 having,in turn, a pair of footboards 30, each of which is carried movable alongan open trajectory P1 with respect to the frame 10 of a rocker arm 42 ofan articulated mechanism 40. In particular, this mechanism 40 carries arocker arm 42 for each footboard 30, and each rocker arm 42 is carriedin a cantilevered fashion by the frame 10 by means of interposition of afurther rocker arm 44, which is connected to the frame 10 in a freelyrotatable manner. The rocker arm 42 is connected to the rocker arm 44 bya turning pair 45. To facilitate representation, the trajectory P1 isvisible in FIG. 2, where it has been drawn only for the left footboard30, given the symmetry of the machine 1.

The exercise station 20 is also provided with a supporting device 50carried rigidly by the frame 10 and associated with each rocker arm 42to minimise the amount of stress that can be transmitted to therespective footboard 30. This supporting device 50 comprises a prismaticpair 52 carried rigidly by the frame 10 and provided with a slide 54movable on a guide 56 along a second trajectory P2. According to theillustration in FIG. 1, the slide 54 is connected to the respectiverocker arm 42 in a corresponding intermediate portion 43 in a freelyrotatable manner. This decision to constrain each rocker arm 42 to theframe 10 by means of the respective slide 54 determines a reduction ofthe extension of the effective length of each first rocker arm 42, andresults in a reduction in the amount of stress that can be transmittedto the respective footboard 30. In the case in question, also in orderto minimise the overall dimensions of the rear part of the machine 1,the guide 54 is substantially rectilinear, positioned in a directionthat lies on a plane D with a double inclination with respect to alongitudinal vertical median plane M of the machine 1 to guide eachfootboard 30 between a first and a second end position A and B. Inparticular, in the first position A the slide 54 is located at the frontat a maximum height on the guide 56 and is placed at a minimum distancefrom the median plane M, while in the second position B the slide 54 islocated at the rear at a minimum height and at a maximum distance fromsaid median plane M. It should be noted that the plane D presents adouble inclination with respect to the plane M, and lying on said planeD there is provided a casing 12, delimiting the top of a box-shaped body14 of the frame 10, which contains the device 50.

It should be specified that the trajectory P2 could also have adifferent form on the basis of the location of the intermediate portion43 of the rocker arm 42. Furthermore, the two trajectories P1 and P2could also be produced similar to each other, although the mechanism 40would undoubtedly have to be modified for this purpose.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the machine 1 comprises aload unit 60 suitable to exchange power with each footboard 30 andprovided with an electromagnetic load device 62, of known type andalready with an electromagnetic load device 62, of known type andalready described with reference to the aforesaid U.S. patentapplications Ser. Nos. 11/603,666 and/or 11/494,994 which areincorporated herein by reference thereto. Furthermore, the device 62could also be of the gravitational or elastic type, without thismodifying the subject matter of the present invention.

In any case, again with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, associated with theload unit 60 is a return device 70 having at least one return component72 associated in turn with a rotating disc 64 of the electromagneticload device 62 of the load unit 60 by means of a transmission 73 havinga flexible component that can be produced, for example, although notlimitingly, by a belt 74, wound on a plurality of pulleys 75. Examplesof the load device 62 and of the return device 70 have been describedwith reference to the aforesaid U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos.10/908,316 and 11/494,994 incorporated herein by reference thereto. Inany case, each return component 72 is of the rotatable type withalternating motion and is mechanically connected to the footboard 30 bymeans of a relative belt 74. Again with reference to FIG. 1 and withparticular reference to FIG. 3, a turning pair 48, shaped so that anupper face 32 of the footboard 30 is positioned with a front portion 34slightly raised with respect to a respective rear portion 36 when, inuse, the footboard 30 travels inside the respective position A, and ispositioned with the front portion 32 slightly lowered with respect to arespective rear portion 36 when, in use, the footboard 30 travels insidethe respective position B.

Use of the machine 1 is easily understood from the above description andrequires no further explanation.

Finally, it is clear that modifications and variants can be made to themachine 1 described and illustrated herein without however departingfrom the protective scope of the present invention.

It must nonetheless be noted that the machine 1 described above isparticularly interesting from the user safety point of view. In fact,each intermediate portion 43 of the respective rocker arm 42 is movablewith substantially rectilinear motion over the plane D, and at a minimumdistance therefrom and therefore allows minimisation of the space freelyaccessible under the rocker arms 42 and 44 in the exercise station 20.Therefore, once the space at the sides of the guide 56 has been enclosedwith the casing 12, and if this is sufficiently strong, a user could usethe casing 12 as a fixed support for his/her feet before starting orafter having finished each exercise. This means that the assembly of themechanism 40, of the frame 10 and of the casing 12 define in theirentirety a safety device 80, visible only in FIG. 2, which minimises therisk of the user placing a foot under the rocker arm 42, or beingstruck, and consequently knocked down, at calf level, by the movingrocker arm 42.

Furthermore, the teachings provided above integrate a method forstiffening each rocker arm 42, which, as already stated, is providedwith a movable end supporting a footboard 30 on the curved and opentrajectory P1. This method provides for the step to connect theintermediate portion 43 of the rocker arm 42 by means of thesubstantially linear prismatic pair 52.

1. A gymnastic machine having a frame (10) and an exercise station (20)provided with at least one footboard (30) movable with respect to saidframe (10) along a first open trajectory (P1); each said footboard (30)being carried by a first rocker arm (42) supported in a cantileveredfashion by said frame (10) by means of at least one turning pair (45);characterised in that said station (20) is provided with supportingmeans (50) associated with said first rocker arm (42) to minimise theamount of stress that can be transmitted to said footboard (30).
 2. Amachine according to claim 1, characterised in that said supportingmeans (50) are shaped in order to minimise the amount of stress that canbe transmitted to said footboard (30) by means of a reduction of theextension of the effective length of said first rocker arm (42).
 3. Amachine according to claim 1, characterised in that said first rockerarm is connected rotatably to said frame (10) by means of interpositionof a second rocker arm (44); said first and second rocker arms (42, 44)being coupled rotatably with each other by means of said turning pair(45).
 4. A machine according to claim 3, characterised in that saidsupporting means (50) comprise a prismatic pair (52) provided with aslide (54) movable along a second trajectory (P2) and connected in afreely rotatable manner to said first rocker arm (42).
 5. A machineaccording to claim 4, characterised in that said slide (54) is connectedto said first rocker arm (42) at the level of a respective intermediateportion (43) in a freely rotatable manner.
 6. A machine according toclaim 5, characterised in that said supporting means (50) comprise aguide (56) shaped so that said second trajectory (P2) is substantiallyrectilinear.
 7. A machine according to claim 5, characterised in thatsaid supporting means (50) comprise a guide (56) for said slide (54)shaped similarly to said second trajectory (P2).
 8. A machine accordingto claim 7, characterised in that said first and second trajectory (P1,P2) are substantially similar to each other.
 9. A machine according toclaim 6, characterised in that said guide (56) is positioned accordingto a direction that lies on a plane (D) inclined with respect to alongitudinal median plane (M) of said frame (10), so as to guide saidslide (54) between a first and a second end position (A, B).
 10. Amachine according to claim 9, characterised in that said first endposition (A) is located at the front at a maximum height and at aminimum distance from said median plane (M), and said second endposition (B) is located at the rear at a minimum height and at a maximumdistance from said median plane (M).
 11. A machine according to claim 1,characterised by comprising a load unit (60) suitable to exchange powerwith each said footboard (30).
 12. A machine according to claim 11,characterised in that said load unit (60) comprises a return device (70)having at least one return component (72) associated with each saidfootboard (30).
 13. A machine according to claim 12, characterised inthat each said return component (72) is associated with each saidfootboard (30) by means of a transmission (73) having a flexiblecomponent (74).
 14. A machine according to claim 11, characterised inthat said load unit (60) comprises an electromagnetic load device (62)provided with at least one rotating disc (64).
 15. A machine accordingto claim 11, characterised in that said load unit (60) comprises a loaddevice (62) of gravitational type.
 16. A machine according to claim 1,characterised in that said footboard (30) is connected to said firstrocker arm (42) by means of a further turning pair (48) shaped so thatan upper face (32) of each said footboard (30) is substantiallyhorizontal when, in use, said footboard (30) is actuated along saidfirst trajectory (P1).
 17. A machine according to claim 1, characterisedby comprising safety means (80) suitable to minimise the free spaceavailable under said first and second rocker arms (42, 44) in saidexercise station (20).
 18. A machine according to claim 9, characterisedin that each said intermediate portion (43) of said respective firstrocker arm (42) is movable over, and at a minimum distance from, saidinclined plane (D), to contain the volume in the freely accessible spaceunder said first and second rocker arms (42)(44) and, in use, tominimise the risk of crushing a foot under said first and/or said secondrocker arms (42, 44), at the level of said exercise station (20), or ofsaid first rocker arm (42) in movement knocking against the side of acalf, again at the level of said exercise station (20).
 19. A machineaccording to claim 18, characterised in that said safety means comprisea casing (12) supported by said frame (10) and suitable to act, in use,as a support for at least one foot of the user.
 20. A method forstiffening a rocker arm (42) provided with a movable end supporting afootboard (30) on a curved and open trajectory, characterised in that itcomprises the step to connect an intermediate portion of said rocker arm(42) by means of a substantially linear prismatic pair (52).